Lexus appears poised to introduce its
first plug-in hybrid model in the near future as its parent company, Toyota,
recently filed trademark applications for a NX 450h+ in Europe. The luxury
carmaker is currently pushing to expand its electrified vehicle offerings, with
one of its more recent introductions being the UX 300e, its first battery
electric vehicle. While hybrid (along with regular petrol and diesel) vehicles
have been a staple in the company’s line-up for a long time, it has yet to
offer one with plug-in capability.
That should change with the NX 450h+,
which is a new variant of the company’s crossover that is positioned between
the UX and RX. The variant is likely to debut with the next-generation NX,
which is expected to arrive next year according to the company’s product
roadmap that was leaked not too long ago. According to the leak, the all-new NX
will ride on the Toyota New Global Architecture-K (TNGA-K) platform and be
offered with five different powertrains, which likely includes a plug-in
hybrid.
While detailed information remains scarce
for now, the PHEV powertrain will likely be similar or identical to the one
used for another TNGA-K-based SUV, the RAV4 Prime. On the Toyota SUV, the setup
consists of a 2.5 litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder petrol engine, two
electric motors, a lithium-ion battery and an e-CVT to deliver 302 hp.
Aside from the PHEV variant, a separate
trademark filing reveals that a regular hybrid NX 350h will also be part of the
range, along with NX 350 and NX 250 options – the last two were sighted in
filings made in the United States.
